Who needs a moving van when you have hundreds of willing volunteers?
Melbourne's Hill of Content bookshop is moving from 86 Bourke St, its home for more than 100 years, a short distance up the hill to 36 Bourke St.
Volunteers formed a human chain on Thursday to move about 4000 books from the old shop to the new one, passing each book from hand to hand.
It took a little over an hour to shift the books about 130 metres along the chain of about 200 people, with almost everyone rugged up in beanies and winter jackets.
"It's been fabulous, just as I thought it would be - it takes a particular kind of person to want to move books," said one volunteer, Michelle.
Author and literary agent Danielle Binks, who also took part, hoped the giant book-moving event would remind people to support independent bookshops.
"I hope this galvanises people to consider, let's delete the Amazon account, let's actually go back to bricks and mortar stores," she said.
"Jeff Bezos doesn't need more money for a third or fourth wedding in Venice. The people who need money are the local booksellers, the ones who keep this city moving."
Hill of Content staff were nervous about the forecast of 10C temperatures and rain, but when it started to shower about halfway through the book-moving operation, most were prepared with umbrellas.
"Books and water are not a great combination. All of that was nerve-wracking," bookseller Jaclyn Crupi said.
"We didn't love the idea of all the volunteers standing in the rain. It's so amazing they showed up despite the weather."
The final book was passed along the chain just before midday to cheering, high-fives and thanks from the bookshop staff.
It was a hardback copy of The Hill of Content by A.H. Spencer, the front cover featuring a comfy chair with a book resting on its arm.
